


How could you not need me no more

by Jibbly



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M, Season/Series 08, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-15
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-09-18 11:14:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16993956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jibbly/pseuds/Jibbly
Summary: He can see the straightening up of Shiro’s posture from his side. “Keith- “He does something that he hasn’t done in what feels like a lifetime. He lays on the bed and gives his back to Shiro, shutting him out. “I’m tired, Shiro. Thanks for the visit.”There’s shocked silence behind him, and he knows that it must seem childish. But the hole in his chest feels so huge, he wonders how his heart is still beating.There’s nothing for a few seconds, and the he hears Shiro getting up and leaving. “I’m sorry, Keith.” It’s said as a parting, but it feels like a knife instead.





	How could you not need me no more

**Author's Note:**

> no fix it fics from me.  
> only bitter fics  
> title taken from "3:16am" by Jhene Aiko

He’s still in the hospital, they want to monitor his head wound for a few more days. Make sure that everything is working the way it’s supposed to and all that. His mom and Kolivan had to report to the Blade for a couple of hours. They are helping with the rebuilding efforts as best as they can.

The paladins come in and out, visiting him and bringing him food in Hunk’s case. The one he sees the least of is Shiro, though. He doesn’t know why, but that unnerves him. The days gets late, and he is going over some updates on what’s happening outside the hospital with a tablet that Iverson had been nice enough to give him.

The dm blue lighting of the screen distracting him enough that he doesn’t realize that there is someone standing in his door way until there’s a soft knock.

He looks up and sees how the artificial lighting of the hospital turns white hair almost glowing.

“Shiro, hey.” He smiles and watches as the other smiles back at him, moving towards the chair next to Keith’s bed.

“How’re you feeling?”

He puts the tablet down on the nightstand next to the bed to give him his full attention. “Good. They said I’ll probably be out of here tomorrow night if everything stays the same.”

“That’s good.” Shiro glances at the bandage that is still around Keith’s forehead and then his eyes drift down to the scar on his cheek.

Keith catches it and feels a flicker of self consciousness. He clears his throat and tries to readjust himself on the bed.

“we…. we never talked about what happened that day.” Shiro suddenly says and it makes something heavy sit on Keith’s chest, making it a little harder to breath.

“I just assumed you didn’t remember, considering…” He doesn’t have to remind them that the body Shiro has isn’t his real one. How he died and almost stayed dead if not for Allura.

“No, I remember.” Shiro leans forward in his seat and his face looks like it’s trying to figure out what to say next. “everything.”  Keith feels his hand bunch up in the blanket as he feels like he knows where this conversation is about to go. He’s been dreading it.

“Shiro, I…I meant what I said.” He sees the other look at him, an unreadable look in his eyes, but he keeps going, because he doesn’t know what Shiro is going to say. So, he has to say this, before Shiro says anything else. Before he loses his nerve. “I love you. I’ve loved you for a long time.”

His pulse is thundering in his ears as he looks at the shocked expression on Shiro’s face, but then he can’t hear anything when he sees the other look away from him. Flesh hand running over his face, he sighs as he looks at the bed.

“Keith, I…”

He winces at what’s coming. He’s being rejected. It makes it hard to breathe properly, but he stares at his hands as Shiro continues to speak to him. His tone like talking to a kid.

“You’re very important to me, Keith. But I don’t…you’re like a little brother to me.”

That fucking stings. It makes Keith regret saying something similar when he was fighting Shiro. It was almost the same words, but the meaning was so different. He doesn’t turn to look at Shiro anymore. “I get it.”

He can see the straightening up of Shiro’s posture from his side. “Keith- “

He does something that he hasn’t done in what feels like a lifetime. He lays on the bed and gives his back to Shiro, shutting him out. “I’m tired, Shiro. Thanks for the visit.”

There’s shocked silence behind him, and he knows that it must seem childish. But the hole in his chest feels so huge, he wonders how his heart is still beating.

There’s nothing for a few seconds, and the he hears Shiro getting up and leaving. “I’m sorry, Keith.” It’s said as a parting, but it feels like a knife instead.

He just pulls the blankets over himself tighter and wishes he was back in a coma.

\---

After that, everything just…. drifts apart for them.

It starts with Shiro being more professional and not calling them by name anymore. IT’s strictly “Paladins” whenever he needs to talk to them. Then Keith goes into the meeting room and sees that Shiro is sitting on the complete opposite side of the table from him. Each day the distance grows and he’s seen a few eyebrows raised from the rest of the paladins at Shiro’s seemingly cold behavior towards him.

It’s the final days of being on Earth and Shiro makes the announcement for everyone to try and spend time with their loved ones.

Keith looks down at his hands, fingers messing with he straps of his gloves as he nods in agreement with the rest of the room. He sneaks a look at Shiro when the room starts to leave, the man going over to talk with one of the atlas crew.

The man looks eerily similar to Adam, and Keith has to look away when he sees the hand Shiro puts on his shoulder. He gets up from his seat and has to get out of here. Needs some fresh air. He doesn’t see the way his fellow paladins see his retreat with worry on their faces.

His mom is joining them on their mission, so he doesn’t feel the need to be with her. She still smiles at him when he meets up to tell her he’ll be gone for a while. Her smile turns sad as she ruffles his head. “I love you, Kit.” Keith smiles at her and let her hug him before he calls for Cosmo and heads out with the Black Lion.

He finds somewhere out in the desert, calm and far away from the Garrison. He’s sitting on Black’s head, Cosmo rubbing himself over his legs and asking for belly rubs every once in a while. The sun is starting to set and he remembers the first day they got Shiro back all those years ago. He had literally fallen out of the sky.

He hears a roar of a lion and turns to see the red lion landing besides him.

He smiles as Lance comes into view, a laugh bubbling out of his throat. “God, you look ridiculous.”

“Hardy har harr.”

They sit next to each other, Lance and himself falling into a comfortable rhythm. Keith appreciates his companionship as they talk about Allura and his’ date tonight. They really have all come a long way from that night rescuing Shiro.

“So, not to butt into your business or anything but,” Lance shifts on his butt and Keith raises an eyebrow. “What’s the deal with you and Shiro? You guys fighting or something?”

There it is.

Taking in a deep breath, Keith stares off at the softening colors of the sunset. The oranges turning into pinks and purples. “We’re not fighting.”

Lance frowns at him. “But you two are still acting weird. Did something happen?”

He could lie, and say they have just been busy, but he’s just tired of keeping things to himself. I mean, look what he’s got to show for it. “I never told you guys, but that day when I went to get Shiro back, I thought we were both going to die.”

Lance doesn’t say anything, but Cosmo whines and puts his head on Keith’s lap. His hand threading through the thick fur. “He was under Haggar’s control, and I couldn’t…. I told him I loved him.”

“What did Shiro say?” Lance’s voice is quiet, and Keith can tell he’s trying to be considerate.

He scratches behind Cosmo’s ear. “He doesn’t feel that way about me.”

“Damn….” They both sit there for a while, the sun almost completely down now, only Cosmo’s small little whines breaking the silence, before Lance has to go.

\---

They saved the universe.

Allura is gone.

Shiro hands him a little white envelope with a strained smile on his face.

He doesn’t want to open it, so he puts it by his side. He tries for a smile, too. But it doesn’t quite work. “I heard you were getting married. Congratulations.” He says instead of opening up the letter.

Shiro nods and puts his hand on Keith’s shoulder. For the first time in his life, Keith doesn’t want it there.

“Yeah, and I was wondering…if you would be my best man, Keith.”

He feels like a bucket of ice water just fell on him, the hole in his chest so unbearably big. “What?” He manages to say in a clipped tone, disbelief on his face.

Shiro’s eyebrows furrow and he guiltily looks towards his feet. The hand coming off Keith’s shoulder. “You’re the closest thing I have to family, Keith.”

Keith’s eyes are wide as he can’t process what’s happening. It’s the anniversary of Allura’s death but he’s the one who feels gutted. “No.”

The answer surprises the both of them. Keith takes a step back, and hands the letter back to Shiro. He sees as the hurt flashes over the other’s face. “Keith…”

“I’ll go to the wedding if you want me there, because I care about you, Shiro. But…” He looks up and wishes that Shiro hadn’t come back for a spilt second. The thought scares and surprises him and he shoves the letter into Shiro’s chest, walking away. “Ask Matt or Sam to be your best man.” He says as he leaves the room. Shiro shocked and guilty in the middle of it.

\---

 

He watches when Shiro and Curtis kiss, but as soon as they both say I do, he leaves.

He’s joining up with his mom and Kolivan and the rest of the blades. He’s booked himself a whole year’s worth of humanitarian missions to go on, and he doesn’t want to spend another second on Earth.

**Author's Note:**

> fuck you shiro  
> and the bad character writing for him in these last two seasons
> 
> i justwant everyone to know that my boy keith is getting fucked on the daily by big dicks out there in space without shiro


End file.
